How can sedation help with pain?

OK, so I know the whole point of sedation (for me anyway) is to get relaxed and be a bit out of it so I am not lying there rigid like a board, just waiting to feel 'that' pain in the supposedly totally numb lower molar while having a root canal.

Hapened twice before, and I can't do it again so I am trying IV sedation this time, and local anaesthetic of course.

My question is for anyone who has had IV sedation. What happens if you feel 'that' pain when you are sedated? Do you not feel it the same way? Do you feel it, but not care? Do you feel it, then forget about it afterward (now, how would they know THAT )

I just can't get my head around the whole 'how does sedation help with the pain' thing.

Hope someone can help.

Re: On sedation....and pain

Sedation helps with pain in a couple of ways.

1) You're more relaxed therefore your blood isn't pounding round your body at 200mph washing the local anaesthetic away faster than we can put it in
2) The more tense you are, the more likely you are to feel pain. Dunno why so don't ask
3) You're more co-operative so the dentist has less need to try to rush things and so won't hurt you by mistake.
4) The perception of pain appears to be altered, people seem to react to painful stimuli differently when they're sedated.

I've assisted at other ops where people have been sedated, they undergo some fairly painful procedures and yet they remember absolutely nothing about it when I've questioned them.

Re: On sedation....and pain

Hi, Does that mean that you have no pain relief when you have iv sedation? I thought that the dentist inject local anaesthetic whilst you are sedated so that you feel no pain.

Re: On sedation....and pain

Sorry, I guess I wasn't quite clear there. On top of IV sedation you get local anaesthetic. Which is much more effective than it is without IV sedation because of all the things I listed.